Watching television last night switching channels we were interested by Our World on the bbc news channel. It involved a factory manager in Bangladesh who had a clothing factory with improved working conditions and pay for the very poor working there. Like the Cadbury’s in by gone ages in the UK he cared for his workers . They made jeans for the big names across the world ( satisfying our need for more ethical production). Then came Covid and our needs changed, orders stopped and orders that had been shipped remained unwanted and unpaid for. Peacocks was sighted as one of those. Of course Peacocks Jaegar and Edinburgh wool are one of the same and have gone out of business! The employees were unpaid, the owner broken by the experience . A sobering end to 2020,that the developing world is so dependent on the excesses of the western world.

Well this is it , last week of the year. I know the family were disappointed in my mid year purchase and of course others have purchased as little of me, a cheaty year to choose. But I have really enjoyed writing the blog and exploring my relationship with clothes, and I have managed the feat of finding something to say for 52 weeks!! I intend to write a monthly blog next year charting any clothes I’ve bought. Obviously I should be mindful of environmental issues and the mass clothing industry when purchasing . I will also be interested to chart the changes to the high street and our purchasing habits post Covid.

On another note my second son gets married in September so I will look forward to purchasing that mother of the groom outfit. A challenge for 2021 !!!

So thanks to all who have persevered and read my blog regularly and posted comments for me to read too. Thank you, and here’s to next year . I hope we will all continue to enjoy the little things and have the opportunity to spread our wings later in the year as life hopefully returns to normal.

Well almost there and what have I learnt from this year? I’ve confirmed my view that clothes tell our story. They are our lifelong journey of acquiring our identity. A visual diary of our lives. On a grander scale they are a visual history. Clothes reflect the politics , history and cultures influenced and dictated by religions and regimes.

On a personal note, it’s not just the dress itself, it’s the occasion when it was bought, with who and where. It then means much more than just the purchase alone. (As I did when I erred this Summer. )If I get to Spain with my sister in law in summer 2021 I’ll be reminiscing on my purchase in the cotswolds in the year of COVID with her, as I wear that dress.

I also talked about the importance of colour ,especially now when our world is so dismal. I reflected on how clothes and appearance reflect our mental health and how I hid away in tracky bottoms etc in a tough period of my life. And how I make sure that everyday I try to enjoy what I wear, reflect the time of year and add a splash of colour, even in these strange times.

I thought about our environment and the landfills of clothes rotting away for hundreds of years. I looked at environmentally friendly clothing and reflected that it is still a privilege of the rich to have a moral conscience and that a seismic change in how we view fashion is the only way that will change. Because it can only change when our celebrity culture changes and we loose the desire to attain the physical looks and clothing of those in the limelight. That change can only happen when we return to the ethos of quality over quantity and that does not just mean buying from high end fashion alone after saving up. Some of the big name designers are morally no better than the high street brands, they still use sweat shops and pay a pittance . They just make less and charge a fortune .

I didn’t know I would be writing my blog in the year of COVID ! What a year! A cheats year for not buying clothes I know. Lots of friends have managed to do the same without the conscious effort. What will happen next year? How will COVID change the fashion industry. I guess the young will continue to buy online as they always have but I know I will really miss the occasion of shopping . I know I won’t be rushing back to the high street till I feel safer out there and that’s not going to be for quite awhile yet. Will there be a high street left then? What else will have changed? Will fashion be reflecting the history and politics of a post COVID world.

In the meantime Happy Christmas.

“Life is too short to remain unnoticed “ These words have been my mantra for much of my life. I’ve even requested my nearest and dearest that I might have them in my obituary.

Throughout my year writing my blog I’m sure anyone who has read it will be aware of my love of colour. My style ( if I have a style ) reflects that . I don’t mind being noticed for what I wear and I rejoice when I see others wearing something eye catching preferably in colour too. I don’t pretend to get it right and there are plenty of people far cleverer than myself at putting colour together and looking interesting and different. But my eye is always attracted to those who look different, bright, not the same. One always wants to find out more about that person then.

Does style reflect personality ?Obviously there are very interesting people who hate clothes and those who think that clothes are frivolous and therefore one shouldn’t admit to any enjoyment from them. ( However some of those choose to engineer a nonconformist preloved look which can also be eye catching even if it’s not a conscious effort, or so we may think!).

Well I guess in my case clothes do reflect my personality to some extent. I know that I can be loud , direct ( blunt) and sometimes too offensive to those of a more sensitive nature. I’m sorry to those who find it challenging but take it or leave it that’s me and life does remain too short to remain unnoticed ! X

I’ve combined week 48 and 49 as I couldn’t add a new post yesterday but checking if this works! I posted two photographs yesterday, one of my home outfit of red jumper with exquisite brooch and one of a rather crumpled reindeer Christmas jumper for work. I continue to have that uniform for work especially at Christmas with all the sticking and painting we do. One day I will take my work uniform to the charity shop for someone else to wear ( that’s if it’s good enough).I wonder what it will feel like to just have one set of clothes rather than work and home!

Plenty for me to choose from for Christmas!

And finally my COVID cardigan which I knitted during lockdown . A big thank you to my friend Trish who put it all together for me.

Week 49

For some reason I can’t find where I post a new post so I’m creating this on the end of week 48!

Not 2022 but 2020 I couldn’t give up buying any clothes for 3 years!!!

Only a few more weeks left of 2022. What a year it has been ! Now it is the time of Winter festivals which started with Diwali last week. This week is Thanksgiving in the USA and soon it will be Christmas. Traditionally a time when party clothes are purchased. Already Diwali has passed by without the opportunity for dressing up and already we know that no Christmas parties or works do’s will be taking place. Looks as if Christmas will go ahead in some form or other. But I also suspect that we are all so used to wearing clothes for comfort that Christmas attire will remain more casual than usual.

Emails are already pouring onto my phone with discounts for Black Friday on clothing. I’ve resisted looking at the bargains as I suspect there will be plenty post Christmas. How many more retailers will go under in January and how will the high street look post Christmas. Pretty devastated I suspect. Hard times ahead .

Exquisite or W A P Watson Ltd produced costume jewellery in the UK from 1914 to 1979. One of the most popular series was the Birthday range. Hand painted flowers designs for each month of the year.
— Read on ezinearticles.com/

Obviously not a frock! But this is where it all began at an Antiques Fair!

When Woolworths was open these could be bought quite cheaply. They would be bought often as presents as they represented each month of the year. Each one was hand painted in the factory in Solihull , so I fell in love with them and obtained the set. Some I bought at Antiques fairs, one I spied on the market and some I bid for on eBay ! And as my friend had suggested I wore them often in the middle of tops as a brooch. They added interest to plain tops and have also been a talking point. I often think that much as I like skirts as well as dresses, often when we go out to restaurants , or pubs or supper with friends no one can see the skirt one is wearing as one is sitting, a pity really . So it’s fun to wear an eye catching brooch. I often wonder about the folk who sat and hand painted those brooches.